


New Hobby

by everydayistuesday



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel and Dean Winchester Reunion in Heaven, Dean Winchester Needs to Use Actual Words, Dean is dead, Jimmy Novak Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, M/M, Mostly Fluff, No one likes John, Ping Pong, jimmy is exasperated, kinda crack? but also not, post 15x20, technically 15x20 divergent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 19:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30127710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everydayistuesday/pseuds/everydayistuesday
Summary: When Dean dies, he finds out from Bobby that Cas drop-kicked John Winchester out of Heaven, and is apparently still alive. Suddenly, being dead seems a lot more appealing if Cas is there, but... since when did Cas play ping pong? And why is Jimmy making bets on their relationship?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 1
Kudos: 79





	New Hobby

**Author's Note:**

> dammit misha

Dean had kinda figured that when he went out, it would be on the job. That’s how it went for most hunters; heart ripped out by a werewolf, eaten by a wendigo, slaughtered by a vengeful spirit. But being nailed by rebar?

  
That was just lame. 

(Yeah, Dean had wanted to get nailed, but not like  _ that.  _ When he had imagined it, it was accompanied by a low voice and striking blue eyes. And it was, ya know, sexy. Rebar was  _ not  _ sexy.)

Not to mention, he hadn’t wanted to die. Or maybe he did. There hadn’t really been a point to it all after their last encounter with Billie. The one thing Dean had truly been living for was gone. He’d stuck around to deal with Chuck, and stuck around because of Sam, but when all was said and done? If he hadn’t had Sam and Chuck hadn’t been in the picture, would he have given up sooner? 

At this point, it didn’t matter. Whether he would’ve or wouldn’t’ve, he was going anyway. 

Dean’s last thought before the world went dark was a relieved realization that if he got to Heaven, at least he’d be able to see Cas again, if only in his memories. 

He opened his eyes and he was standing in front of the Roadhouse. 

The red hot pain in his back was gone, and his knees didn’t hurt. The cuts, scrapes, and bruises from the hunt were healing as he stood there. And sitting on the porch of the Roadhouse—

  
“Bobby?” Dean asked.

“Didn’t expect you up here for a while, idjit,” Bobby said, scowling at him. “What’d you go off and die for?” 

Dean stared at him. “This isn’t a memory,” he said dumbly. 

“No, it ain’t. Your kid fixed the place up. Heaven is one place now, where you can spend eternity with everyone. Well,” Bobby paused thoughtfully. “Mostly everyone. One of the first things Cas did was send your father way downstairs, but the rest of us are here. That’s not the point, though.”

“Wait,” Dean said. His brain was struggling to keep up. Had Bobby just said—? “Repeat that.” 

  
“John is in Hell,” Bobby said, raising an eyebrow. 

“No, before that.” 

“Cas helped?” 

Dean let out a breath. “He’s alive?” 

“Yeah, your angel is fine. Not sure why he wasn’t hanging out with you and your brother,” Bobby said. 

Cas was alive.

  
Holy shit,  _ Cas was alive. _

  
“Where is he?” Dean could feel something in his chest expanding. 

Bobby shrugged. “Dunno. Haven’t seen him lately. The Impala’s out back, might find him if you take a drive.” 

“Thanks, Bobby.” Dean made a beeline to go around the house. 

“We’re not done with this conversation!” Bobby called after him. “Get your ass back over here once you’ve found your boyfriend!”

“Will do,” Dean promised.

The legos still rattled when Dean turned the Impala on, and the toy soldiers were still crammed in the ashtray. Her upholstery was in prime condition. On the outside, she was sleek as though freshly painted. Heaven had really treated her like a lady. 

Dean forwent the music, turning the keys and slamming his foot on the gas. 

Cas was  _ here, somewhere Cas was here.  _ Finally, Dean could face him and hold him in his arms and say  _ those three words.  _

He drove without destination, tearing down the road. His eyes scanned the passing scenery, watching for a familiar trench coat. 

Nothing. 

He drove until he came across a bridge. He didn’t know how long it had been. Dean parked and ducked out of the front seat. 

A river flowed lazily beneath him, skipping over rocks and stones as it careened its way through the forest. It almost reminded him of the one from Purgatory, only less of a dull gray. Now, with the bright sky above, it was a light, silvery blue. 

Cas wasn’t there. 

Dean had to have been driving for over an hour. There had been no sight of Cas. Was he in the wrong part of Heaven? Actually, how big was Heaven? And if Cas was an angel, wouldn’t he be able to tell if Dean was there? 

It hit him, and Dean wanted to slam his head against the bridge’s metal railing. Where Cas was, how big Heaven was… none of that mattered. Cas was an  _ angel.  _ Dean knew how to reach him. 

But… fuck. What was he supposed to say?  _ Hey, Cas, I’m kinda dead, sorry your sacrifice was for nothing, I love you, too, by the way? Hey, Cas, heard you’re not dead, wanna explain why you didn’t tell us that, because we could’ve used your help a few times, and I missed you because you’re everything to me?  _

  
“Dear Cas, who art… somewhere in Heaven,” Dean began, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I'm fucking thrilled you’re okay, man. Really fucking thrilled. When the Empty came…. Uh, yeah. Glad you’re not dead. More than glad. But we, uh, we need to talk. Please. I— I, uh, have something I’ve gotta say, and I want to say it to your face. So, uh, pop on in for a sec, yeah? Please?” 

  
Dean waited. 

Wind whistled through the trees, and birds could be heard singing above. The water ran down the riverbed and clouds glided leisurely across the sky. There was no sound of wings, or footsteps, or another car rolling up. 

It was just Dean. 

He waited there for hours, until the sun was sinking before the horizon. 

Cas never showed. 

When the sky was bathed in vibrant hues of oranges and purples, Dean climbed back into the Impala, slamming the door behind him. He rested his forehead against the wheel. 

Maybe Cas wasn’t here. Bobby could have been wrong. Maybe this was Hell, and his Hell was never seeing Cas again, but still hearing that he’s around. 

  
Maybe Cas didn’t mean what he said and he never wanted to see Dean again. 

Dean forced the last thought out of his mind.  _ No,  _ Cas had  _ meant  _ it, Dean  _ knew  _ it. 

Even ignoring the later option, Cas was still gone. Still out of Dean’s reach. 

What if Dean never saw him again? 

That thought spurred some action; he started the Impala and pulled away from the bridge, headed back the way he had come from. Yeah. Dean needed a drink. 

* * *

When he climbed out of the Impala at the Roadhouse, Bobby looked at him expectantly. 

Dean shook his head and headed inside. 

The place was just as he remembered it. It still smelled faintly of booze and varnish. Tables were spread out the same way they had always been. 

He could see Jo up at the bar, cleaning off a glass. Dean made towards her, when—

“So help me, Castiel, if you hit that ball  _ one more time—“ _

Dean whirled around. 

Two figures were standing at either end of a ping pong table, locked in a fierce competition. They were both the same shape and build, but one of them had hair sticking up in all directions, and stood in a way that was familiar. 

“Cas?” Dean said. 

Cas’ head snapped towards him, and the blood drained out of his face. 

The guy standing across from him took the opportunity to smack the ping pong ball onto Cas’ side of the table, where it bounced off. 

“Ha! I win!” Jimmy said smugly. “You know what that means.”

Dean stood there, looking at Cas. They were both still for a moment, and then—

“Are you just going to stare at each other?” Jimmy looked between the two of them. “Come on! Run into each other’s arms or something, don’t just have eye sex!”

Both Dean and Cas blushed. 

“It’s not eye sex!” Dean protested weakly. 

“It’s totally eye sex!” Jo interjected from the bar. 

Dean turned to glare at her. “Nice to see you too, Joanna Beth.”

Jo flipped him off. She didn’t say anything else to him, instead directing her next words to Jimmy. “Help me out, I need to get something from the back.” 

“Dean, nice to see you again under more pleasant circumstances. Castiel, he’s here. For the love of god,  _ talk.” _ With that, Jimmy followed Jo into the back room. 

And then Dean and Cas were alone. 

Cas seemed extremely uncomfortable, looking everywhere but directly at Dean. 

_ He regrets it,  _ a voice in the back of Dean’s head whispered insistently.  _ Why wouldn’t he? You’re a waste. And anyway, since when did good things happen?  _ Again, he shoved the thought away.

“So, uh….” Dean fumbled for something to say. “Ping pong?” 

If he could have, he would’ve banged his head against the wall.  _ Ping pong?  _ He was in love with Cas and hadn’t seen the guy since he was taken to the Empty and the only thing he could come up with to say was  _ ping pong?  _

Cas blinked a few times, glancing down at the paddle he held. “Um. Yes. It’s a new hobby.” 

Dean huffed a short laugh. “‘Course you’d pick something like that for a hobby.” The only thing was… “Couldn’t you have, I dunno, picked it up on Earth?” he said, humor fading quickly. 

Cas shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t think—“

“What? That we’d be upset you were gone?” Dean said. “We— I thought you were dead, man, and you have no idea how much that hurt. How much I— how much I missed you.”

That got Cas to meet his eyes. 

“Didn’t help that it was my goddamn fault, either,” Dean continued.

  
“It wasn’t your fault,” Cas cut in. “It was my decision—“

“Yeah, but going after Billie was my idea,” Dean shot back. “My fault we were even trapped in the dungeon.”

  
“You didn’t know that would happen. Neither of us did,” Cas said. 

Dean shook his head. “I should’ve. We don’t get easy wins.”

Cas didn’t respond at first, but when he did, he said quietly, “But we did get a win. We took care of Billie.”

“You think that was a win?” Dean demanded. “Yeah, she’s not a problem anymore, but you Cas, you just— just  _ said _ all that stuff and then you were  _ gone,  _ and—“ He broke off. 

Cas was watching him carefully. 

“One minute you were there, then you were gone, and I didn’t even have the chance to—“

_ Why couldn’t he finish his sentences?  _ Time and time again, Cas’ parting words had haunted him, and Dean had tried to figure out what he would have said. What he wanted to say. And now he could, but the words wouldn’t come out, they  _ weren’t working. _

“Dean,” Cas said slowly, “what are you trying to say?” 

Dean took a breath. “Did you really think when you— when you were summoning the Empty…. Did you really think that I wouldn’t care?” 

“I knew you would care. You care so much, Dean, about everybody. I knew it would hurt you, but I also knew you would move on. You… Sam… you don’t need me.” 

“Of course I need you!” Dean said. “Cas, you’re my best friend, you’re family, you’re—“ Without thinking, he surged forward and pressed his lips to Cas’.

Cas inhaled sharply. 

When Dean pulled back, Cas’ eyes were wide and lips were slightly parted. He raised a hand to lightly touch his mouth. “Dean,” he breathed. 

“You’re everything, and I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner. You’re everything and you’ve gotta believe it, because I love you, too—“

Dean was silenced by Cas kissing him. 

Cas tasted like coming home. 

Dean’s hands had fisted his trench coat. Cas had one hand gripping his shoulder, while the other rested on his cheek. Suddenly, it was just the two of them, and the only coherent thought Dean could make was a feeling of how  _ right  _ it felt. 

There was a loud smattering of applause from behind Dean; he jerked back abruptly from Cas, face pink. 

Jimmy was sitting on one of the bar stools, looking oddly pleased. “That took awhile,” he commented. He hopped off of it. “Congratulations, you two. Castiel, I’m resigning, I’m no longer your relationship counselor. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Amelia owes me twenty bucks.”

Dean watched as Jimmy made his way to the door and waved. 

“Later!” he called, and then was gone. 

The bar was quiet for a moment, then Dean turned to Cas. “Relationship counselor?”

“When Jack brought me back, I didn’t know if you would want to see me. I was afraid,” Cas admitted, “that you wouldn’t want me around after what I had said. I came across Jimmy here and we started talking. He and I made a deal; if he beat me at ping pong, then I would have to talk to you.”

“I always want to see you, Cas,” Dean said. “And since when did Jimmy play ping pong?”

“Years.” Cas looked thoughtful. “I think he figured that as an extremely old wavelength of celestial intent with less experience in human games, I would be easy to beat.”

Dean grinned. “You’re impossible to beat. Probably because you cheat.” 

Cas leveled him with a look. “I don’t ’cheat,’ I’m simply a strategist. If I hadn’t thought I would win, I wouldn’t have taken Jimmy’s offer.”

Dean’s grin widened. “So, of all the things you could’ve learned in Heaven… air quotes weren’t one of them, huh?” 

  
“I don’t see what’s wrong with my air quotes. I know they’re ‘unconventional,’ but—“

“You did that on purpose,” Dean said. 

Cas shrugged. “Maybe, but I’m told that you love it.” 

The smile on Dean’s face softened. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I do.” 

Cas smiled back. 

“Well, I didn’t get to see much of your game with Jimmy…” Dean prompted. 

Cas opened his mouth to respond, when—

“I’m coming in there, you’d better not be doing anything on the bar!” Jo shouted. She re-emerged from the back. 

Dean rolled his eyes. “Come on, Jo. We’re not uncivilized.” He winked at Cas. “We’d do it on the ping pong table.”

“I don’t think Jo would appreciate that,” Cas said. 

“No, I wouldn’t,” Jo agreed. 

“But,” he continued, lips twitching upward, “I know something else we can do on the ping pong table.” He picked up the second paddle and held it out to Dean. 

Dean grabbed it. “You’re on.”

Cas leaned forward again and kissed him deeply. “For good luck,” he said when they broke apart. “You’ll need it.” 

Dean was a little out of breath, high on the feeling of Cas’ lips pressed against his. “ _ Damn, _ Cas. Kissing you might have to be  _ my _ new hobby.” 

“I like the sound of that,” Cas said, eyes bright. 

“You two are disgusting,” Jo decided. “I’ll get you guys drinks.” 

They took their positions on either end of the table. 

“Ready?” Cas asked. 

“Ready,” Dean said. 

Cas held up the small ball to serve, and it began. 

As expected, he won. Dean declared a rematch. Right before the final serve, he leaned across and pulled Cas in by the tie. He learned two things. 

One, getting Cas flustered was the best way to win. 

Two, was that Cas was really fucking adorable after he’d been kissed. 

  
And later, after they’d left the Roadhouse, three. 

There was a small place down the road, in the opposite direction Dean had been driving earlier. A normal house, with a grill in the back and a nice garage for Baby. Inside, there was a kitchen and a living room and other normal rooms. The best part was the bedroom; it had only one bed, and it was the perfect size for both him and Cas. 

That night, laying there in the dark, Cas’ arms around him, Dean smiled. 

Good things did happen. 


End file.
